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AIM
Hospice is a
non-profit agency, begun in 1987, which provides
palliative care (comfort in dying) to the terminally ill
in the counties of Aransas and San Patricio as well as
Bee, Refugio, and parts of Nueces. Our specially-trained
team of nurses, aides, counselors, volunteers, chaplain,
and therapists works together with our Medical Director
and the patient’s personal physician. Our intent is that
the dying person may feel as comfortable as possible
while remaining at home with the family, if feasible.
Our services also include all of the medications and
supplies needed to manage the symptoms of the terminal
diagnosis plus the durable medical equipment needed for
the comfort and safety of the patient. This equipment
may include a hospital bed, oxygen tank, bedside
commode, wheelchair, walker, or shower seat.
AIM
Hospice care is available to patients in our service area who meet certain
eligibility criteria and are under the care of a
Texas-licensed physician. The term, hospice, is derived
from the word “hospes” and referred to rest stops for
travelers in the early days. Today it is used to
describe services that are available to help the
terminally ill live out the last few months of their
life as comfortably and as actively as possible.
Patients may receive services while living in their own
home, in a nursing home, or in the home of a care-giver.
Dying is a natural part of living, yet each death is
personal. When facing the end of life, one should not
have to feel alone, in pain, or afraid that their
caregivers will ignore their wishes or those of their
families.
AIM
Hospice
provides individualized care for the terminally ill and
their families, regardless of race, color, creed,
national origin, religious affiliation or the ability to
pay. To qualify for services, a physician must certify
that the patient is terminally ill with a life
expectancy of six months or less. All patients must have
a competent 24-hour-a-day caregiver unless they are
eligible for our home-alone program.
The mission of
AIM Hospice
is to provide a range of palliative health care
services which responds to the needs of the patient;
promote comfort and freedom from pain; work with the
dying patient and family as a single unit in providing
humane care; respect the autonomy of the patient and
family to make individual choices affecting present and
future health needs; identify those physical, emotional,
spiritual, financial, domestic or social problems which
directly or indirectly affect the family unit; prepare
the family unit and assist them physically, mentally and
spiritually to recognize death as a normal part of life;
and provide bereavement follow-up care to help alleviate
emotional suffering for one year after death.
A referral for
services to
AIM
Hospice can
be made by anyone. The patient, the family, and the
primary physician must all be in agreement with the
hospice philosophy and the transition from curative care
to palliative (comfort in dying) care for the patient.
An evaluation by an RN or the hospice administrator can
be requested by contacting
AIM
Hospice at
361.729.0507 or sending an email to
info@aimhospice.org.
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